Canadian Olympian and philanthropist Cheryl Bernard was in Whitecourt for the second annual empowering women in business seminar. She shared her experiences at the Olympics and the importance of choices.

The event was hosted by the Whitecourt Chamber of Commerce and Empowering Women in Business at the Eagle River Casino on March 19.

Around 50 community members were in attendance, both women and men, to listen to Bernard speak about the struggles and triumphs she had during her time as an Olympian.

“Being a small business owner, a lot of times your motivation depletes or you get discouraged,” said Amanda St. Pierre, vice president of the chamber. “These seminars are meant to be a source of inspiration, to get that kick. To network in an environment that is about to building each other in a positive environment.”

Bernard spoke about choices she made and three things she learned and during her time as one of the oldest Olympians at the age of 43.

She spoke about the “stress and responsibility” a person has to face in business and how people deal with pressure.

“One way is by understanding how you view it,” she said. “(During the 2010 Olympics) we chose to view the 30 million Canadians watching us as support … we chose the attitude that we would walk into those Olympics with. That choice allowed us to stand on the podium and have the success we did.

“Attitude can easily make or break a company, a home, a relationship.”

Bernard also talked about the importance of “patience and persistence;” ignoring the voices in the outside world.

“I was 43 years of age (when we won the trials for the Olympics),” she said. “Believe me, before that there were many times I thought long and hard about giving up.

“You’re never going to stop the outside noise. Everyone is going to have their opinions, their messages, but the path that you take because of that noise, that is your choice … failure in life is inevitable, but how you chose to deal with it, is not.”

Around 50 residents from the Whitecourt area were in attendance during the Women Empowerment Seminar on March 19.Taryn Brandell

Bernard ended her seminar with a final story about the importance of the people a person surrounds themselves with.

“Those people will determine the level of your success,” she said. “If you value the relationships in your life, if you surround yourself with good people, they can help you achieve more and do more then you could ever do alone.

“Everything you become is based on the choices you make and only you are responsible for every choice made and every path taken.”